


Final Moments, Final Memories

by ParadoxProphet



Series: Despair's Last Resort: The Misfortunes Of The 79th Class [6]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Backstory, Canon - Tie-in Novel, Gen, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-04 15:49:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4143528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParadoxProphet/pseuds/ParadoxProphet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The dead have a lot of stories they can tell, but the living never see or hear them. Until now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chiyo Ueda

**Author's Note:**

> So this is something I've wanted to do for a while now. I mean, Takara can only figure out so much after all. I wanted to show what really happened during the murder (and potentially events that lead up to the murder depending on the character), and for culprits what happened after the murder. After all, you can only figure out so much.
> 
> I decided to work on this now as I can't go anywhere with the Resort Mode chapters until I get some votes on the survivors, and I want to wait a bit before I write some more Ticking Of The Clock. So I figured this could fill in the gaps during the wait between those.

_"Chiyo my child, what on earth are you doing?!"_

_"Is it not obvious, grandmother? I am attempting to channel a spirit."_

_"I can see that, my child, but you have been attempting to do so for days! You must rest!"_

_"With all due respect grandmother, I simply cannot. I refuse to believe he is gone from this world."_

_"Look at you, you are about to collapse! You have not slept nor have you eaten much since his death. You are over exerting yourself, and I cannot let you exhaust yourself to death."_

_"Grandmother, you do not understand. He promised we would see each other again, I have something very important to tell him, I-"_

_"Cannot continue to destroy yourself like this! ...Chiyo, my child, if he were still lingering in this world then you would have contacted him by now. It does not appear that he has any business that would tie him here. He has passed on to the afterlife."_

_"Then I must contact him from there."_

_"No, I forbid it."_

_"But grandmother!"_

_"Chiyo Ueda, I am sorry. But if you continue to pursue this foolish endeavor you will surely kill yourself!"_

_"Perhaps it would be better that way. I could see him again."_

_"Do not speak that way. I will not listen to my granddaughter as she contemplates suicide."_

_"...I thought we were not meant to fear death, grandmother. We Uedas have always had a strong connection to the spirit world, so why does talk of my death frighten you so?"_

_"......Fearing death and wishing for death are not the same. We all have a time, and frankly my child yours has not come. He died with no regrets, he was at peace. Think of his passing not as the end of his life, but the end of his suffering. He is no longer in pain, no longer trapped in the hospital where he grew weaker and weaker. He is in a better place now, free from the disease that plagued him."_

_"If he had no business, then why did he not stay here so I could speak to him?"_

_"I do not know, my child. But he spent his last moments with you smiling, making sure that you were not saddened by his state. He likely knew it would be the last time he would see you. Tell me, my child, would contacting his spirit and telling him what he likely already knew put yourself at ease? Or would your heart continue to ache further?"_

_"...I..."_

_"Come with me, my child. You are pale as a sheet. Let me take you to bed and make you some tea. You must be freezing cold in here."_

_"...There is still so much that I do not understand, grandmother."_

_"You will in time, my child. The day will come when it all makes sense."_

\--------------------------------

Chiyo wasn't sure what to do. The sense of death was getting stronger and stronger with every second. She could feel it, someone was going to die tonight. But no matter how hard she tried to focus, she couldn't pinpoint who it would be. It was troubling, far too troubling. Walking out of her room with laundry at hand, she pondered the thought of asking Kumiko to come with her to the laundromat. She quickly dismissed the idea, Kumiko wouldn't want to go with her to a place like that, she'd get too bored. She walked down into the lobby and out the doors. This was likely a mistake, but she had no other clean clothes. She needed to get them clean before the day was over.

As she made her way down the path to the shopping district, she began to think about their situation. Why were they brought here? What purpose did Monokuma's killing game serve? Why use the sixteen of them? Was what he said about destroying all connections to their talents true?

A chill went through her at the thought of her family shrine being torn apart. The Ueda family had lived at that shrine for generations, it was the only home they had. And her family, what would happen to them? Would they be safe and sound, but homeless? Or would they share the shrines fate? No, she didn't need to think of that. No matter what, she would never kill anyone for the sake of her shrine. It was important to her, but not worth killing for. Especially not worth killing her classmates. She barely knew them, yes, but there was no reason for her to kill any one of them. None of them deserved to die.

She entered the laundromat, seeing another person sitting by the dryers. She wasn't the only person who needed clean clothes it seemed. "Good evening to you, Mr. Fujiwara." she said with a friendly smile.

The animator flinched upon hearing her voice as he turned to face her. His face was covered in sweat. "Oh, h-hello Chiyo," Kaito said, his voice shaky. "W-what're you d-doing here?"

"Presumably the same as you. I am here to take care of my laundry." Chiyo answered. She walked over to a washing machine, taking off her cloak and putting it inside as she began to place the rest of the clothes in. "I would have preferred to wait until tomorrow morning, but I have no clean clothes left you see."

"R-r-really now? I-I see." Kaito said, his eyes darting around the room. It was like he was trying to avoid looking at her. "I'm a-about to be d-d-done here myself, s-so just ignore m-me!"

"Very well then, I shall leave you to your own business." Chiyo said. She proceeded to start the washing machine and began to wait. The dryer behind her quickly came to a standstill, and she could hear the door open as Kaito grabbed his clothes. The medium began to feel sorry for the poor boy. The threat of Monokuma's motive was clearly making him anxious. He must've been worried about someone turning up dead in the morning, that someone potentially being himself. Or perhaps it was the idea that all his work would be gone if no murder occurred. He likely prided himself on his animation work, to see it vanish would no doubt hit him hard. She could see it after the announcement, he was freaking out.

There had to be something she could do to put him at ease. Maybe she could escort him back to the hotel, it would only take a minute and there was no rush. Suddenly, it hit her. She reached into her pocket, pulling out one of the talismans she made the night before. Kaito was the only person who didn't have one, she hadn't found the right moment to give it to him. If she was going to do anything, she had to do it now.

"Mr. Fujiwara?" she said, causing the boy to flinch again. He didn't respond or turn to face her. Chiyo figured his nerves were making him worried, perhaps walking closer to him would be a better move. She made her way towards him, with the talisman in hand. "I can see that the recent events are putting you through a lot of stress. I do not know if it will bring you comfort, but I have something for you that I think will help. It is not much, but I wish to do what I ca-"

A sudden pain struck her in the chest. She looked down and saw something small, she assumed it was a pen by it's shape, sticking out of her chest. The wound began to bleed just slightly. She looked forward and saw Kaito, his breathing loud and ragged as tears formed in his eyes, holding the pen in his hand. What was he doing? "Mr. Fujiwara, what are you-"

"SHUT UP!" Kaito screamed. His hands shook as he took the pen and stabbed her again. "S-STAY AWAY FROM ME! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO!"

Chiyo stumbled backwards as she was stabbed again. Blood began to pool from the wounds and left a big red stain on her dress. "M-Mr. Fujiwara, please, control yourself..." she said, hoping her words would help him realize what he was doing.

"I'M NOT G-GONNA DIE HERE!" Kaito said, stabbing her again and again. "I-I'M NOT GONNA L-LET YOU K-K-KILL ME!"

Chiyo stumbled against the back of the wall, falling over and leaving a pool of blood on the floor. She tried to stand up, dropping the talisman in the process. "Mr. Fujiwara, you have to think things through." she said. "I do not wish to hurt you, I am only trying to help you."

"YOU'RE LYING!" Kaito shouted, his hands shaking faster than before. "YOU'RE JUST G-GONNA KILL ME!" He stepped backwards, dropping the pen in the process.

"I have no reason to kill you though." Chiyo said. She managed to get back on her feet and stand. Slowly, she made her way towards the animator, but he wouldn't have it.

"I-I-I won't let you kill me..." he said. He pulled out a jacket from the dryer, and ran closer. "I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU KILL MEEEEE!"

He grabbed Chiyo and made her face the other direction. Taking the jacket, he placed it around her face and covered her nose and mouth. Air couldn't make it through, and it felt like she was running out of breath. She tried to take the jacket and pull it off, but Kaito was persistent in keeping it in place.

Chiyo was confused. Why was he doing this? She didn't want to hurt him, she only wanted to help. Had his worries clouded his judgement and rationality? Was the thought of being alone with someone else in this situation frightening to him? There was no answer, none that she'd be able to gather. Not unless Kaito realized what was happening and stopped. She wasn't even listening to whatever it was he was screaming.

Realization set in. Was this why she couldn't pinpoint the first death? Because she was the first one to die? Not because of the number of people who would? Or perhaps it was both? She couldn't think straight, not with the lack of air.

So this was how she would die. Suffocated by a jacket by a frightened and paranoid classmate. It wasn't what she would've chosen, but at least it would be painless. Well, aside from the multitude of small stab wounds that is. What would happen after this though? Obviously the others would find the body and have to figure out who killed her, but then what? Would they succeed and have poor Kaito die? Or would they fail and all die instead? What would the others think when they'd find her, cold and lifeless? She already knew how poor Kumiko would react. Tears and screaming and a wish to find the one responsible, but what about after that? If they succeeded in catching Kaito, what would happen to her? Would she be safe? Would the others help her? Would they even care about her?

She'd probably never know. Not unless she remained as a ghost that is. But why bother, she had no unfinished business in this world. And haunting Kaito would do no good. Chiyo felt sorry for him. He was terrified, panicked, acting out of fear. She couldn't blame him for what he was doing, most people would've cracked under pressure in their situation. She just hoped that his actions would be worth it, that he'd realize what he'd done and confess to his crime in the end. He wasn't a bad person, she could tell. She began to feel extremely light headed, but she didn't fear death. She welcomed it, she had learned that death was a part of life a long time ago.

_"I forgive you, Kaito Fujiwara..._


	2. Kaito Fujiwara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next Resort Mode chapter is taking a while, so I decided to write this to hold you guys over in the meantime!

_"I...I got a letter from Hope's Peak Academy... I've been accepted to Hope's Peak Academy!"_

_"What? You? Don't be stupid, you'd never be good enough to get accepted into a school like that. Stop lying."_

_"But the letter's right here, mom! Read it for yourself if you don't believe me!"_

_"What the hell would Hope's Peak Academy want with someone worthless like you?"_

_"It says so right here! I've been accepted as the Super High School Level Animator! Can't you see what this means?"_

_"Typical, only someone worthless like you would be accepted for having such a worthless skill. You should've found someone useful to do with your time instead of doodle all day long."_

_"Worthless?! But this is the most prestigious school in the whole country! Keiichi and Koutarou didn't get accepted, but I did! How is that worthless?!"_

_"Because you've wasted your life making anime and cartoons. Meanwhile, your brothers have studied hard to make a name for themselves. Being accepted into Hope's Peak Academy is meaningless for you. You'll just be forgotten years later and have nothing to show for yourself. Keiichi and Koutarou will be successful without a Hope's Peak diploma, but you'll crash and burn with one. That's why it's worthless."_

_"...You don't understand."_

_"Shut up and tell your brothers that dinner's almost ready."_

_"...Yes mam. Forgive me for my rudeness."_

_"Kaito, we heard the good news! I can't believe you got accepted into Hope's Peak, that's amazing!"_

_"Yeah, it's great."_

_"Lemme guess, mom gave you trouble again?"_

_"She said I wouldn't do anything with a diploma from Hope's Peak, that I'd crash and burn once I graduated."_

_"Well what does she know anyway? She's never gone to Hope's Peak Academy!"_

_"But what if she's right? What good is being an animator going to do me? Who would hire me with a talent like that?"_

_"Don't listen to her, Kaito. You've been given a once in a lifetime chance at getting somewhere! This could be just what you need to show mom and dad what you're made of! Don't let those words get you down when you don't know if she's right!"_

_"But what if-"_

_"Koutarou's right, this is your one and only chance. Your only chance to leave this place."_

_"Keiichi, what're you saying?"_

_"Isn't it obvious? Our parents aren't going to respect him if he stays here. He needs to get out as soon as possible, and this is his chance. They think he's a failure and keep setting it up for him to be one! If he leaves, maybe then they'll realize how much potential he has. And if he leaves, it'll help his own psyche. Their influence is only crushing his spirit. He needs to go, so he can save himself."_

_"...I can't argue with that logic. You heard him, lil bro. Going to Hope's Peak will do you good. In more ways then one. Your name will be known for years, but only if you accept that invitation."_

_"I'll...I'll show them. I'll prove I can be more than they expect of me! I'll make the name of Kaito Fujiwara known all over the world!"_

\----------------------------------

Limp. The girls arms went limp. Chiyo Ueda was dead.

Snapping out of his paranoid induced rage, Kaito realized what he had just done. He just killed someone. He _murdered_ one of the other students with no hesitation. He ended the life of someone else without a second thought. His hands began to shake as he dropped his jacket and Chiyo's corpse. Soon he felt his whole body shake as he fell to his knees in front of the dead medium. "This...this is just a dream...right?" he said, talking to no one but himself.

He stumbled over to Chiyo, turning her body so he could check her heartbeat. Maybe she was still alive! She could've just passed out! There wasn't any proof that she was dead. Looking away, he placed his hand over her heart and waited for it to beat. Minutes passed, but nothing happened. Panicing, he took his fingers and placed them on her arm. Surely he'd be able to feel for her pulse! But nothing. The black-haired medium was surely dead.

He backed away, wishing this was all a horrible dream. He slapped himself in the face, pinched his arm, punched himself in the gut, but he was still there, and Chiyo was still dead. This couldn't be happening. He tried to justify what had happened. He was scared, backed into a corner. He thought she was trying to kill him. He had his animation work to save. It's not like he wanted to kill her, it was all a panic-induced accident! Surely that would get him off the hook!

His breathing became hitched upon realizing just what his actions would lead to. He killed someone. He'd be punished by that bear if he got caught. He was doomed. Saying it was an accident wouldn't cut it. He had to get away with this or else he'd be dead too. Frantic, he made his move.

He pushed away Chiyo's body, he'd deal with it later. The animator then grabbed a set of paper towels and ran them under the sink. Once they were drenched in cold water, he quickly tried to clean up the bloodstain left on the floor. His mind was still all over the place from the murder. He couldn't think straight as he tried to clean. What would the others think of him if they found out? What would that Kumiko girl think? She was close to Chiyo if he remembered correctly, so I doubt she'd be happy finding her best friend dead. And if she knew he killed her... He didn't even want to think about it. He didn't really know the girl, by choice that was, but he didn't think he'd want to see her angry.

Believing the floor to be clean, he threw them all in the trash. He hen grabbed the bottle of ink he had brought with him and returned to the body. If he was going to hide blood, it'd only work if all of it was gone. Pluging his nose from the smell, he poured the contents of the bottle onto her dress It blended into her dress perfectly, or at least it seemed that way. He'd have to wait for it to dry before he could do anything else though. As he was about to move on, Kaito noticed something small on the floor. He picked it up, seeing it was a talisman. Was this what she had tried to give him earlier? It wasn't an attempt to kill him? His guilt over what he did only rised as it felt like a rock and fallen in his chest. "Oh god, please forgive me, Chiyo." he said. He threw the charm in the trash with the paper towels.

He ran back towards the machines where he attacked her, trying to find the pen he used to stab her. He couldn't just leave a weapon like that lying around, it was an obvious givaway! He got down on his knees to search easier, but nothing was there. He looked and he looked but he couldn't find the pen. He tried to calm himself down with deep breaths, he was getting too worked up. He'd have to come back tomorrow morning to look for it. Right now he had other things to worry about.

He took the jacket he used to strangle her, an idea coming to mind. He looked up at the pipes on the ceiling. Maybe he could convince them that she committed suicide by hanging herself! The thought of tricking the others didn't feel right, but what other choice did he have? He didn't want to die either! Relactantly, he tied the jacket around a pipe and fashioned it into a noose. Then he picked up Chiyo's corpse, looking away from her face, and made the attempt to slip her head through. In the process, he pulled on the magatama necklace she always wore, snaping the string and sending it all over the floor. There wasn't any time to clean it up, he had to get back to setting this up.

He finally managed to get the lifeless medium through the noose. He stepped back and looked at what he'd done. So this is what he'd stooped to, faking a suicide scene to keep himself alive. His parents were right, he was worthless. Only a worthless fool would act so cowardly. He was a failure. Everyone he just met was going to die because of him. They didn't deserve it, they hadn't done anything wrong. But what else could he do? He couldn't die. He had to prove himself! ...Right?

Not wanting to stay there anymore, Kaito rushed to take his clothes out of the dryer and ran for the hotel. He locked himself in his room and tried to sleep, not caring what time it was. He wanted to forget all about this, but he wouldn't be able to.

"Everyone...please forgive me!"

\------------------------------

"Correct! The culprit who killed Chiyo Ueda was our very own Kaito Fujiwara!" Monokuma said with glee.

Kaito had no idea what to say. He gripped his podium as a few tears fell. "I'm sorry..." He failed. Takara had found him out. Everything he did was for nothing.

"Kaito, why?" Kumiko asked, tears in her eyes. "Why did you kill someone like that? Why would you kill Chi-Chi?!"

He couldn't bring himself to look her in the face. He accused her of killing her best friend, refused to let her guard the body, he wouldn't be surprised if she hated him for all of time after this. "I had no choice." Kaito said with an air of defeat. "I've spent so many years on my animation. If it were all to be destroyed, so much would be lost. Movies, TV episodes, short films, all of it gone forever. I've done so much work, I couldn't let it disappear. My work is the only thing to prove that I'm not worthless."

"What do you mean? You aren't worthless." Ayame said, unknowing of how wrong she was. "Kinda annoying, but not worthless."

Well, he'd never have another chance to tell anyone. Might as well say something now. "Tell that to my parents." Kaito said as his body began to shake. "I'm nothing in their eyes. Nothing but a failure. I'm constantly compared to my older brothers who can't do anything wrong. Even when they purposely tried to get into trouble, _I_ was the one who was blamed. Nothing I did was right in their eyes, and I was always told how much of a burden I was. 'Why can't you be more like your brothers, Kaito?' 'Why cant you do something useful, Kaito?' 'Why are you such a disappointment, Kaito?' That's all I heard every day of my life! Not even getting accepted into Hope's Peak, something neither of my brothers managed to do, was good enough to deserve the slightest bit of praise from them! All they said was why couldn't my talent be something more useful! I wanted to prove that I could be successful! That being an animator was a talent worth being proud of! If all my work were to be destroyed by Monokuma, it would just mean that everything they said was true. That I was weak, worthless, a waste of life..." He sunk to his knees and held his head in anguish.

"But why Chiyo?" Shizuka asked. "She didn't pose any threat to you." Was she so kind as to not see it herself?

"No threat? Did you really not listen to anything she said?" Kaito asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Hikaru asked.

"You had to have heard her. All that talk about how death was hanging over us all? She had to have been planing to kill someone before the bear even made his motive." Kaito explained. "Her family shrine was at risk after all. It was only a matter of time before she would attack somebody. And I was all alone with her, she was bound to attack me. So I went after her before she made the first move. And even if I had killed someone else, she would've been able to contact the dead and find out it was me! I just...didn't want to die." He felt so pathetic, so cowardly, why did this have to happen to him?

"But Chiyo was tryin' ta avoid dat kinda scenario!" Kazumi shouted. "All she was tryin' ta do was give ya somethin' she thought would protect ya', dipshit!" He didn't need to hear this from her. He already knew how he fucked up.

"I had no way of knowing that!" Kaito screamed, his tone becoming hysterical. "I was paranoid, I was afraid! Everything that's happened these past few days hit me like a fucking truck! Can all of you really sit there and say that if it were you in my shoes, that you wouldn't do the same?!" No one answered. Most of them just looked down at their feet. "You see? Any one of you could have fallen into the same trap that I did..."

"Kaito..." Minoru said. The animator had never seen him look so distraught before.

"I never wanted to kill anyone, honest." Kaito said. "But I had no choice. I just hope... Chiyo can forgive me from the afterlife..." It was his only chance for redemption after all, but why would she bother to forgive him after all was said and done? He was the worst. No one could forgive their killer, especially after the way he did it.

"Awww, isn't that just sad?" Monokuma said mockingly. "Too bad that sob story can't save you from your fate, Fujiwara!"

Kaito stood up with wide eyes. "What? Y-you don't really mean-" he said before being cut off.

"Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for the Super High School Level Animator!" Monokuma said with glee.

"W-w-wait, you can't be serious!" Kaito said. "Please, don't kill me, I beg of you I'll do anything! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!!!!" He begged and pleaded with panic in his voice, afraid of the idea he was going to die, but his cries fell on deaf ears.

"Let's give it everything we got! It's punishment time!" Monokuma said.

"NO! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS ME! I WANT TO LIVE! I'M SORRY!!!!!!" Kaito screamed.

Before he could run, Kaito felt a metal clamp secure itself around his neck. He was yanked backwards, unable to see where he was being taken. What was Monokuma planning for him? Electrocution? Shooting? Beatings? Drowning? As much as he wanted to think about something else, all the animator could think about was how he was going to be killed. He yanked at the clamp, hoping he could pull it off. It was useless though, the clamp was too strong. He closed his eyes, unable to look anymore.

He felt himself pass through a curtain, or at least what felt like one, and was placed into some kind of box. Curious, he opened his eyes. He saw himself sitting in what appeared to be...a mine cart? In any other situation he'd feel confused, but this had something to do with his death and he was terrified to think about what it could be. His teeth began to chatter as he waited for whatever cruel torture Monokuma had in store for him.

Suddenly, the black and white bear himself appeared next to a lever. Kaito didn't know what it was going to do, only that it would kill him. "WAIT, STOP, DON'T PULL THAT LEVER, PLEASE! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT BUT DON'T KILL ME!" he screamed, begging for the bear to let him go. His cries were ignored though, as Monokuma proceeded to pull the lever. With no warning, the minecart moved forward at a high speed. The track twisted and turned like a roller coaster, making the animator feel sick.

He regretted everything. He never wanted Chiyo to die, she was nice. A bit freaky but nice. Why did he think she was going to hurt him again? He couldn't even remember anymore. He should've never gone to Hope's Peak Academy, he was better off at home. But now he was going to die, a waste of space who everyone hated. Perhaps he deserved this, he didn't want it though. He continued to struggle with the clamp. Hopefully he could break free and escape this punishment!

Suddenly, the cart stopped in front of a large rock. Was that it? Was he going to live after all? Kaito heard the sound of something swinging above him, and glanced upwards to see a large anvil barely suspended above him. Wait a second, this couldn't be serious coul it?! This was like something out of an old Looney Tunes cartoon! He struggled to break free, when he spotted a small dwarf robot with a pickaxe hitting the rope holding the anvil.

"WAIT NO, STOP, IT'LL BREAK!" Kaito screamed as he thrashed about in the minecart. He had to break free from this, he had to! "ARE YOU FUCKING DEAF, STOP HITTING THAT THING!" he continued to shout with no luck. Finally, the robot managed to turn at him, the rope breaking with a snap. Kaito's eyes darted up as the anvil began to fall...

_PLEASE FORGIVE ME!_


	3. Hikaru Nagai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this took way too long to come out, and I'm sorry about that. I was put on a higher dosage of cymbalta recently and among other issues, one of them was that I was having trouble writing. What I could write was very little before I lost interest or felt stuck. Hopefully now I can work on the last Resort Mode chapter and move on to other aspects of the project.

_"Ma, why did you and dad split up again?"_

_"I thought I've told you this before, Hikaru. Why ask me about it now?"_

_"It's just, I was really young so I didn't understand it. Plus you were being kinda vague about it. I know you don't like talking about it, but I'd rather have a real answer that I understand."_

_"...Very well, I never told you the truth because I hoped you'd still be able to have a relationship with him independent of what happened between us. But you're old enough that you deserve to know the truth."_

_"Aw, come on ma, I doubt it'd be that bad!"_

_"Oh Hikaru, you're such a naive boy sometimes. The truth is, I discovered your father was cheating on me."_

_"...You mean, like in a game you were playing? I don't know, that seems kinda silly to me."_

_"No, not that kind of cheating."_

_"You mean there's another cheating?"_

_"Yes. He was seeing other women and sleeping with them behind my back."_

_"...Wait, what?"_

_"Your father was dating many young women and keeping it from me. He even had the nerve to bring them here and sleep with them in our bed!"_

_"That's bad, right?"_

_"It most certainly is, a relationship is meant to be filled with trust and love. Seeing someone else behind your back and hiding it, that's the most despicable thing a man could do!"_

_"It is...?"_

_"Thankfully you didn't turn out like him. You're a kind and sweet boy, Hikaru. You'd never do anything like that."_

_"Uh, hehe, yeah. ...I am."_

\-----------------------------------------------

He wished it didn't have to come to this.

Hikaru Nagai stared at the clock on the bedside. The numbers 5:50 flashed back at him. It was almost time. He rushed into the small bathroom of his hotel room and stared at himself in the mirror. His face was pale, sweat trailed down his face, and black circles were noticeable under his eyes. Made sense, he hadn't slept a wink all night. He was too busy thinking about what he was about to do, what had lead to it.

He knew. Somehow that goddamn bear knew he had cheated with girls before. He never meant to do it though! It was all an accident! His father had lied to him when he was young about how romance worked! He thought what he did was normal, he felt ashamed of himself the moment he learned the truth. All he wanted was to let go of the past, find a nice girl and date her without worry of his cheating coming to light. But now it was all about to be ruined. He couldn't dare let anyone know about what he did, not even his new friends. He picked up the razor that he had sitting on the counter, hating himself even further.

He never wanted to kill anyone, he knew what happened to someone who murdered here. He'd seen Kaito's brutal execution with his own eyes. He didn't want to end up like that. He didn't want to deceive anyone either. He couldn't handle having all that guilt on his shoulders. But he didn't see any other choice. He had to do this, no matter what the consequences may be. He just hoped the others would understand as he slipped the weapon underneath a pillow.

A loud knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts. Hikaru stood there for a moment, trying to hold back his tears. May the gods forgive him for what he was about to do. He slowly walked to the door, opening it to see Ayame standing there, still in her pajamas and her football uniform in her hands. "Woah, you look horrible!" she said. "Did you get any sleep?"

Hikaru shook his head. "No, I feel horrible." he said.

"Fuck, it's a good thing you called me over here then!" she said. "Hope you don't mind that I brought my clothes. Didn't think it was worth it to go back to my room and all."

"No, it's fine." Hikaru said. "Just leave them in the bathroom for now."

"Alright, let me just go put these down then." Ayame said, walking away to set down her clothes.

If there was anyone Hikaru didn't want to kill, it was her. Ayame was someone he trusted more than anyone else here. She was nice, funny, cool. And she didn't swoon over him like almost every other girl. It was nice for a change. He enjoyed spending time with her and talking about sports. It hurt him even more that he had to kill her. There just wasn't anyone else he could convince to come to his room at this time, she's the only one who'd come of her own free will. He didn't want to do this, but it was either kill her or have her learn the truth. He could only hope she would forgive him.

"Kay, then! Got that taken care of!" Ayame said as she walked into the room. Hikaru sat down on the bed and slipped his hand under the pillow without her noticing. "So what's up that's gotten you so shaken up?" she asked, pulling out a piece of paper. "This letter sounds pretty important.

Hikaru took a deep breath, trying to ignore the tight feeling in his chest. "It's this motive..." he said.

"Ohhh, you're worried about that." Ayame said. "I don't blame ya. Fucking Monokuma, digging up our personal lives like that. What kind of person does that?!" Hikaru grabbed hold of the razor.

"That's not why I'm worried about it..." he said. He could feel his heart beat fast. It was almost as if it was pounding against his chest.

"Huh? Then what about it is bugging you?" Ayame asked. He clenched his free hand into a fist, letting it shake. He couldn't find the words to say anything. "Hello? Hikaru? You awake there?" she said.

"...I'm sorry..." Hikaru muttered.

Before she could ask what he said, Ayame felt a sharp pain in her arm. She looked at it to find a long gash, blood dripping from it. She looked at Hikaru, the razor in his hand and his breathing ragged. "Hikaru, what the hell?!" she shouted as she stepped back.

"I'm sorry, Ayame! I have to!" Hikaru shouted, tears falling from his eyes as he couldn't hold them back anymore. He stepped closer, waving the razor around. Ayame kept ducking and moving around to avoid the razor from slicing her again. Furniture began to fall as she moved, papers and other items falling to the floor. Hikaru just kept swinging as tears fell. Why did things have to be this way?

Eventually, she had nowhere to run. This was it, he had to kill her now. Hikaru moved up his arm to kill her, but felt pain in his legs. Ayame had began kicking him. He was too distracted by the pain. Her leg hit his crotch, causing Hikaru to double over and drop the razor. He fell onto his bed and clutched the area, even if she was just trying to protect herself that move wasn't justified! Her legs were stronger than he took credit for.

He looked over to see Ayame looming over him, the razor now in her hands. Suddenly he couldn't even recognize the pain in his lower area, it didn't matter now that his best friend was going to kill him. "No....Ayame, please....I'm really sorry..." he shakily said.

"What the fuck?! I get that Monokuma's motive is bad and all, but that doesn't mean you gotta try this!" Ayame shouted, her arms moving all over the place.

Hikaru couldn't even begin to pay attention to her words. All he could focus on was the razor she was holding. "No, no, no, Ayame I'm begging you!" he cried out.

"Shut up, Hikaru!" Ayame said. "You had plenty of options besides murder, and yet you're swinging this thing in my face?!" She continued to talk as the razor waved around. Hikaru could feel the sweat trailing down his body. It was all over, he knew it.

"I'm sorry! I didn't want you to-" he tried to say.

"SHUT IT!" Ayame shouted. "I thought we were friends! But if this is what happens when you have friends, then maybe I don't want to be yours!"

At that moment, time froze for the track runner.

The razor came too close.

There was a sharp pain in his neck.

Something was caught in his throat.

Ayame was being covered in blood.

This was all his fault.

_I didn't want to hurt you, I lo-_


	4. Ayame Ishikawa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear god, this took even longer to make than the last one. I've been dealing with a lot this past year, and I've been working on this on and off until I recently got some more motivation for it. This chapter is also really long due to the complexity of Ayame's crime and what she did to set it up, but the other chapters shouldn't be that way. Though the next three will be interesting because I'll finally get to show off the double murder which is really interesting. Hopefully I don't take over a year again to get it out.

_"Alright, another successful game! Man, we kick ass!"_

_"Well of course we did, you got me on your team! I'm unstoppable after all!"_

_"Oh, uh, yeah. Sure, Ayame."_

_"You got a problem, Tatsuya?"_

_"No, no! Nothing's wrong!"_

_"You're a crap liar, and you know it. You got some beef with me, then say it!"_

_"Don't get me wrong, Ayame. You're a great player and the best on our team! But haven't you, well, thought about what you're gonna do with your life?"_

_"Oh come on, you too?!"_

_"It's just that the team's been talking about this! You're a great player but let's face it, no one's gonna want to let a girl into the football leagues. Not even a girl as good as you."_

_"Then I'll make them let me in! I can prove myself to be just as good as any guy who plays this game!"_

_"I don't doubt your skills, trust me. I think you're the best player I ever met! But I'm worried about you, Ayame. Maybe you should rethink your plans for the future."_

_"I don't need to rethink anything! I'm not gonna become some housewife who cooks and cleans all day just because I have breasts! I can't believe you, Tatsuya! I thought if anyone had faith in me it would be you!"_

_"Ayame, calm down!"_

_"I'm perfectly calm!"_

_"Look, it's just that a girl like you will never get anywhere the way you behave! How are you supposed to be taken seriously if you don't act anything like a girl?"_

_"I don't need to hear this from you! I know I'm supposed to play football! Some kind of friend you are! I hope I never speak to you again!"_

_"Ayame, wait!"_

_"Piss off, Tatsuya!"_

\----------------------------------------

Ayame could only stand there as the blood spurted all over her and her surroundings. Hikaru's blood was pooling from his mouth as he ceased to move. His body fell on the bed. Hikaru Nagai was dead.

What had she done?

"H...Hikaru?" Ayame asked, hoping this was all a bad dream. She dropped the razor and stepped closer to the bed. "I'm sorry, Hikaru. Please...please don't be dead..." She lightly shook his body, hoping to get a response. "Please Hikaru, wake up..." Light tears began to form in her eyes as the realization hit her. She killed him.

Why did this happen? Why did he do this? Why? Why? WHY? She kept shouting the question in her head, but couldn't think of an answer.

Then it hit her. Hikaru was dead, she killed him, if she didn't do something she'd end up just like Kaito. His execution played back in her head, making her shudder. She didn't want to die like that. She didn't want anyone else to die either, but did she have any other choice? It was her or them. The football player had to move fast. The others would be awake at any moment.

She ran into the bathroom, the first thing she needed to do was dispose of the body. She wasn't an expert, but if his body was somewhere else then maybe the others would think that's where he was killed. But with all that blood he was bound to make a mess. So she needed the towels. She grabbed the three of them, but paused when she saw the beach towel. The pool party they held just the other day seemed so far away now. Like it happened weeks ago. She shook her head, this was no time for reminiscing. She had to move this body. She grabbed the beach towel too. She needed as many towels as possible. Without hesitating, and trying not to look at his face, she wrapped the towels around Hikaru's body.

But now what was she going to do? Where could she take him? She definitely couldn't leave him in there. Then she remembered, the freezer! The restaurant always opened up early for Masaru to make breakfast! But how could she transport him there? Sure, she was strong, but Hikaru was much bigger than her. There was no way she could drag him downstairs and into the freezer without getting spotted by Masaru or someone else who decided to wake up early. This was going to be a lot more complicated than she thought.

She left the room, taking care not to close the door all the way, as she ran to the first floor. It was a little past 6:15 now, so she had to gather the materials she needed quickly. She'd have to grab a baggage cart to place the body on so she could get it to the stairs. Then she'd have to grab something she could drop the body onto without damaging it since the elevator was still out of order. Perhaps one of the trampolines from the gym? She could probably run there quickly, grab the trampoline, and have it in place by 6:30 or so. She was pretty fast after all. She'd have to get something else to transport the body a second time, but that could all come later.

In no time at all, she'd grabbed a trampoline and placed it at the edge of the stairs. She went back upstairs and found the baggage cart and pulled it into the room up to the bed. She grabbed the heavy body of her best friend, trying not to smell the blood, and quickly placed it on the cart. She brought it over to the stairs, struggling to pick up the body before she threw it down. Just as she planned, it landed on the trampoline.

The restaurant wasn't open yet. So she rushed downstairs and hid the trampoline under the stairs. No one would notice it with the building still dark. With some time left, Ayame figured now was a good time to clean up the crime scene a little. She remembered how Kaito leaving behind evidence was what screwed him over after all.

She went back into the room, closing the door behind her just in case someone woke up. She looked at the floor, spotting just what she was looking for: her card key. She dropped it during the scuffle, leaving it behind would be a problem. She then picked up the razor, if they couldn't find the weapon than they couldn't tie things to her, right? She ran into the bathroom and placed the razor in the sink, she could clean it off later.

At the thought of cleaning things she remembered that she was also covered in blood. She had to clean herself off first. She took off her pajamas, she could clean those off at the laundromat. But as she was about to turn on the shower it hit her, the water was still off. There was no way she'd be able to get this blood off! Just as she was about to give up, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. The water gun from the pool party, and as luck would have it there was still water in it. She grabbed it and began spraying herself with it. It wasn't the best option out there, but she had to make due with what she had.

She didn't have time to worry about drying off, plus she'd used all the towels to move the body, so she just put her clothes on while still wet. It wasn't that much water, so she'd dry off pretty quickly. Stuffing the key into her pocket and grabbing the bloody clothes, she left the crime scene behind her as she made her way to the laundromat. Or rather, that was what she'd hoped would've happened.

Walking down the road in the morning fog was none other than Ryouta. Ayame panicked, what the fuck was he doing out here?! If he saw her, it would ruin everything! The little paranoid fucker would squeal to everyone! Wait, on the contrary, she could probably use him! But she had to act fast. Thankfully the fog concealed her as she walked closer.

The florist was made aware of someone else in front of him, but clearly couldn't see who it was. "W-W-What are you doing?!" he shouted before getting punched in the face. Ryouta fell where he stood. He was unconscious, good. Ayame propped him up against the nearest building, if she was right than this guy wouldn't be waking up for a while. She could grab him later. Right now, she had a crime to conceal. The laundromat wouldn't be ready to use until the water came back on, but she could at least dump her clothes in here in the meantime. Not caring which one she used, she threw the bloody pajamas into a random washing machine and ran back to the hotel.

As luck would have it, the restaurant was now open, the lights on inside indicating so. Ayame went in quietly, just to be certain that no one was in there already. But there was no noise or smells so she figured she was safe. As she made it into the kitchen, she paused as something just occurred to her. Hikaru had cut her arm. She couldn't walk around with such an obvious wound, she'd be spotted for sure! Thankfully, there was a first aid kit in here that she could use. She could always say the bandages were from something else.

Using the last of the bandages to wrap up her arm, she grabbed the food cart and maneuvered her way out of the kitchen. This was it, her plan was almost complete! She went back to the stairs, finding where she hid the trampoline and grabbing Hikaru's body. Why did the dude have to be so heavy? After struggling, she was able to fit the body on the food cart, at least the attempt was made. And now she was ready to activate the final stage of her plan! She went back to the restaurant, just to be safe so that no one was there. But of course, nothing could go so smoothly.

As she entered, she heard the unmistakable sound of Masaru humming to himself in the kitchen. No, not now! She was so close! Why did he have to show up at now of all times?! She couldn't just knock him out like with Ryouta, that'd make her look suspicious! This was it, her plan was going to fail, she was going to get executed just like Kaito! Why did this have to happen to her?!

"OUCH! My hand!" Maybe it was too soon for her to panic? Ayame continued to listen to Masaru from her hiding place underneath one of the booth tables. "Aw great, I burned my hand! At least it's just a minor one, but I should still cover it up so I can keep cooking." No way, this couldn't be happening. "What the- Who used up all the bandages? No matter, I just started so I don't need to worry. I'll just go down to the Health Center and get some bandages there instead."

Ayame had to have been the luckiest person right now for that to happen. So much for Miyako being the Super High School Level Good Luck. Masaru ran out of the restaurant, leaving Ayame with no time to waste. As soon as he walked outside, she dashed back to the stairs and pushed the food cart with all her strength. There was no room for error here. Making it into the kitchen, she opened the freezer door and shoved the cart inside. She placed the body down in front of it, giving it something to be propped up against. She quickly removed the towels, making sure to avoid looking at Hikaru's face. She didn't want to feel even guiltier than she already was. Noticing the towels were covered in blood as well, she decided she might as well wait it out in the laundromat.

Rushing out into the lobby, she made her way back outside and ran back to where she'd left Ryouta. There were only five minutes left until the morning announcement would play, so she didn't have to worry too much. She looked over at the florist, who thankfully was still unconscious. Then she rushed into the laundromat and threw the towels in with her clothes. Now all she had to do was wait. And she didn't have to wait long. As soon as the monitors turned on and the bear's obnoxious voice reached her ears, Ayame turned on the washing machine. She doubted that she'd be able to grab her clothes again before the trial, but what were the chances that someone would come looking for evidence in here?

Leaving the laundromat, she heard some slight groaning. She looked over at Ryouta, and noticed he was starting to stir. She looked at his face, wincing slightly at the black eye she left him with. Oh well, she never liked him anyway. She picked him up and slowly made her way back towards the hotel. She'd need to be there for the body discovery, but there was no need to hurry. Thankfully Ryouta was so skinny that he barely seemed to weigh a thing.

It wasn't long before he began to regain consciousness. "Hey! What's going on here?! Put me down!" Ryouta shouted.

"I don't trust you," Ayame said. "Sneaking around out here when everyone else is sleeping, what do you think you're doing?" She had to keep up this act.

"I'm not about to keep eating with potential murderers! I was trying to grab my own food so I could eat by myself!" Ryouta said.

"A likely story." Ayame responded. She dropped the florist onto the ground, feeling a little satisfied with herself, and pulled him back up. "You're coming with me. And I swear, if anything weird happens, I'll-"

"A body has been discovered!" Monokuma's voice rang out. So they found his body already.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Ryouta said.

Ayame jerked his arm closer to her. "Oh, you just got even more suspicious, buddy. I'm bringing you to the others right now." The two walked faster towards the hotel, as Ayame tried to contain herself. This wasn't going to be easy.

\-------------------------------------

"Bingo! Our blackened this time around, and the murderer of Hikaru Nagai, is Ayame Ishikawa!" Monokuma said as he clapped his hands.

Ayame was furious. She'd done everything, but she was still found out. Not only that, but Hikaru's attempt at her life had been figured out as well. She couldn't control her emotions as she gripped her podium so hard it could snap.

"Hikaru... tried to kill his best friend?" Shizuka said, unable to believe what she was hearing. "But why? Why would he ever do such a thing?"

Sometimes that girl just got on her nerves, and her anger certainly wasn't helping at the moment. "I don't know!" Ayame shouted, filled with anger. "He didn't say shit when he was trying to slice and stab me!" She wanted to know the answer to that question as well, but it was highly unlikely she was going to get it.

"Usually people have the right to remain silent, but since Nagai's already dead there's no way for him to stop me from telling you all why he went down the road of despair!" Monokuma said. He pulled out a folded piece of paper with Hikaru's name on it, unfolded it, and cleared his throat before reading.

"Hikaru Nagai has cheated on every single girl he's ever dated and always got away with it."

Ayame froze where she stood. _That's_ why he did it? Because he didn't want word to get out that he was unfaithful? She couldn't find the words to speak as her mind tried to process what she'd just heard. All she could do was listen to everyone else.

"What da fuck?!" Kazumi shouted. "Who even does dat?!"

"I suddenly don't feel sorry for him now that he's dead." Naomi said, pushing up her glasses.

"But why would he do that?" Masaru asked. Ayame wanted to know that as well. How could someone like Hikaru be such a scumbag?

"Ehhh, beats me! I don't know that much!" Monokuma said. "Maybe he enjoyed having more than one girl at his side or something. All I know is that it was enough to get him rolling into despair." She couldn't even get a real answer. She'd never know the truth.

"I can see why he'd kill someone over that." Shizuka said. "I mean, he had lots of fangirls didn't he? If they knew that he cheated on girls they would lose all respect over him."

"That, and if something like that got out about someone in the sports world, it would ruin him for the rest of his life." Arata added. "It doesn't make his actions right, but it's understandable why he would try to kill someone over that."

She tried to rationalize things in her head, but her pre-existing anger was too strong to allow her to do such a thing. "Hikaru was a cheater...?" Ayame asked. She slammed her hand down on her podium. "GOD DAMMIT! I thought I made friends with a cool guy who wouldn't judge me for liking football and now I found out that he cheated on who knows how many girls?!" She didn't mean to say that last part, but she was so upset that she didn't care. Maybe no one would notice it?

"What do you mean by someone who wouldn't judge you?" Masaru asked. Well, Kaito got his moment to talk about his sad life, might as well tell them her story now that she let that slip out.

"Do you know how hard it is to be the only girl on a football team?!" Ayame asked. "Because it sucks ass! All my teammates would ask me why I didn't act more like a girl! They'd ask why I didn't try to be more feminine! I'd be told shit like I'll never find a boyfriend if I keep acting like this! Sure, my teammates never doubted my skills as a player, but when they always asked me why I couldn't act like a girl in the slightest it pissed me off!"

"I had no idea people actually said those things to you." Satoshi said. "It just doesn't seem right."

She could feel tears trying to escape her eyes, but she held them back. She couldn't show weakness here. "That's why I hung out with Hikaru so much, because he didn't give a shit about that! I thought he was different, that I could have a friend who didn't care!" Ayame said. "And then he tried to kill me, over his cheating past!"

"So in response, you disarmed him and decided to kill him instead." Shigeru said. "Even though you had the choice to run away." God damn, this piece of shit really didn't understand anything, did he? She really had to spell it out for him?

"It was an accident!" Ayame insisted. "Yeah, I took the razor from him but I was just trying to intimidate him! I thought I could find out why he tried to kill me! But I must have been flailing the thing around so much that I killed him! It was too late to go back at that point, so I figured I might as well go all the way."

"How can we just believe you about that?" Ryouta asked. "You've lied a lot so far, who's to say you're not still lying?" She couldn't blame him for thinking she was lying, she did try to frame him after all, but she was so angry about everything that she didn't want to hear it from him.

"Will ya shut da fuck up already?!" Kazumi yelled. "Or do ya want another black eye?!"

"Well whatever! It's not like it matters anymore!" Ayame said. "I killed Hikaru and I'm not afraid to admit it!" She didn't care anymore what any of them thought of her. Whether they believed her or not, she killed her best friend and couldn't get away with it. And she knew that it was all to protect his own skin at that. Why should she care about anything anymore? She lost.

"So you're not afraid to die then." Takara said.

"You say I'm going to die? Like hell I am! I'm not going down without a fight!" Ayame said. Was this what going insane felt like? Was this how Kaito felt before he was going to die? Did anything truly matter anymore? "I'd like to see that bear try to execute me that easily! I'm not spineless like Kaito was, so just try to kill me!" That's right, she couldn't die here. She wouldn't. She was strong while Kaito had been weak. Just like Hikaru had been weak. She could handle anything that was thrown at her! She was Ayame Ishikawa, the Super High School Level Football Player! She'd never lost a game in her life! She wasn't about to lose now!

"Aya's starting to scare me!" Kumiko said. "Why won't she stop shouting?"

"I gotta admit, it's getting on my nerves as well." Monokuma said. "So I think it's time to shut her up!" So it was time now, huh? It didn't matter what he tried, she could never die to the likes of him.

"Yeah, yeah, do whatever you want, I'm fucking invincible! I'm undefeated! Your little execution doesn't scare me!" Ayame said. She couldn't even tell if she was lying or not anymore. Nothing mattered to her anymore. Not the execution, not Monokuma, not even her classmates who were watching her fall apart. All that mattered was living.

"Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for the Super High School Level Football Player!" Monokuma announced. "Let's give it everything we've got! It's punishment time!"

"Screw all of you fuckers! I'll see you in hell!" Ayame shouted, giving everyone the finger. They could all fuck themselves as far as she cared.

The next thing she knew, Ayame was standing on a football field in front of a giant goal net, her arms bound by chains coming out of the ground. She tried to run away, but the chains kept her from moving forward. She could move from side to side, but that was as far as the chains would allow her to move. She wasn't scared though, was Monokuma trying to kill her by putting her in her element? How stupid could he be? Out of nowhere, a number of robots popped out in front of her, each one wearing a football uniform. Footballs appeared in front of them, waiting to be kicked. Monokuma dashed onto the field wearing a referee outfit, likely to mock her, and blew a whistle. He rushed off as the robots began to play.

The balls rushed towards her, but she was prepared. She easily began to kick and bunt them, keeping them from getting into the goal. She wasn't usually a goalie, but she was still just as good at it as she was at any of the field positions. Was this the best that stupid bear could do? The balls continued to come for her, getting faster and larger every second and being sent in bigger droves. Now it was starting to get harder to block them. She made the attempt, but some escaped into the net behind her while others just beat at her in her attempt to block them. Ayame had no way of stopping them. They were getting too big for her to kick away. Eventually she just tried to dodge them, it was a better strategy than keeping them out of the goal.

Suddenly, the balls stopped coming. She looked down at herself, she was bruised and there was some blood, but ultimately she was alive. She laughed in triumph in-between her breathing. There was no way that she could be killed so easily! She was truly invincible!

But then she saw it, a giant robot with an equally giant football was standing before her and preparing to kick. Ayame stopped laughing, trying desperately to move, but her legs were frozen in fear. She couldn't move no matter how much she willed her legs to do so.

The ball was kicked, and at that moment time seemed to slow down for the football player. She remembered what had happened before Hikaru had died. How his voice sounded scared and shaky when he tried to kill her, how he kept apologizing over and over again, how he had been crying. That didn't seem like some scumbag who wanted to keep cheating on women, that was a desperate boy who knew he'd done something wrong and was doing something else that was wrong. Was it really all just for the sake of his reputation? Or was there more that he couldn't even tell her about? Nothing made sense anymore.

The ball slammed into her, sending her through the net and into the back of the wall.

_Was any of it real? Or-_


	5. Naomi Williams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bluh, this didn't turn out that well but I needed to finish it so I can work on my next project so here ya go. Next chapter will be better.

_"Mother, what's going on? Why are we leaving?"_

_"I'm sick of your father, I'm not going to live here like this anymore and I'm not leaving you here to do so either."_

_"Don't I get any say in this?"_

_"I'm sorry Naomi, but this is what's best for you. I'm not going back to Japan and leaving you with that man."_

_"Wait a second, Japan? We're not staying in Britain?"_

_"No, I'm going home and taking you with me. You're still Japanese after all."_

_"But what about my life here? I have friends and family, you can't just take me away from them!"_

_"You'll be fine. It's easy to make new friends, and you already know the language. It'll be easy for you to settle in Japan in no time flat. Trust me honey, this is for your own good. You'll thank me for this one day."_

\---------------------------------

"So that's how it'll play out. I kill someone, and you kill someone. That way we'll both make it out of here because they'll never suspect two culprits. It's a fool-proof plan." Shigeru said, resting his body against the bar where the files were sitting. Naomi smiled. The plan was brilliant. Sure, Takara had been able to figure out Kaito and Ayame's crimes, but surely even she couldn't figure out a double murder with two culprits. Even if by some stroke of luck, she'd figure out one of them was guilty, the other could go free and everyone else would die.

"I'll make my kill first, that way we won't try to murder the same person." Naomi said, pushing her glasses back up.

"An excellent idea, might as well not say who we plan on killing either. We can save it for after we've actually made the kills." Shigeru said. He really was a genius. It'd be so easy to get out of here with his ideas and her own combined. Naomi was sick and tired of this resort and the people in it. Sure, getting out of here as a team worked in theory, but the fact that two people had already killed should've sent the message that being friends was worthless. Killing was the only surefire way of making it out of here, and everyone besides Shigeru had just gotten so annoying that she didn't have any regrets in killing someone. And after reading the information left for both of them, she knew that this wasn't the first time this had happened. So learning from the past mistakes, they could get out of here.

Suddenly the door opened, causing the two to freeze. Shizuka walked in, a worried expression on her face. Of all the annoying idiots to walk in on their plan, it had to be her. Just how much had she heard of their conversation? "Shigeru, Naomi, what are you doing?" she asked. "You can't go planning another murder, too many have died already! Is that really what you want?"

Shigeru started laughing. "Do you honestly think you can stop us?" he asked. "We've already made this decision. You're wasting your time."

A sudden realization hit the translator. "Shigeru, she's going to bloody ruin everything!" she said. "She knows too much, she's gonna go tell the others what we're doing!"

"Wh-what? No! I'm just trying to-" Shizuka tried to speak, but was interrupted.

"So much for my carefully thought-out plan," Shigeru said. "But no matter. One must always be prepared to improvise," He grabbed the shovel the two had stolen from the botanical garden's tool shed. "I suppose my target has changed. Try not to take this personally." He ran towards the painter and swung the shovel.

Shizuka was faster though, ducking out of the way to avoid being hit. The shovel made a loud clang as it hit against the doors. With no where else to go, she ran further inside the karaoke bar.

"Don't just stand there, grab her!" Shigeru shouted.

"Right!" Naomi responded. The two dashed around the room, following Shizuka where she went. The girl was surprisingly faster than they'd expected. Every time Shigeru tried to hit her, she'd duck or fall forward, causing the tables and chairs to be knocked over. Some bottles clattered onto the floor, not breaking but a few cracked. The place was a mess. They'd be spending the whole night cleaning it up at this rate.

Shizuka seemed to change tactics, rushing to the bar so she could hide. "Don't think you can get away that easy!" Shigeru yelled. He swung the shovel against the bar, knocking all the bottles on it to the floor. Naomi could see Shizuka crouching down, trying to avoid being hit by the falling glass bottles as they shattered. This was her chance!

Before she could get back up, Naomi grabbed Shizuka's arms and pulled her up. "Game over!" she said, hearing the painter's ragged breathing. She was trying not to sob, but crying wasn't going to save her now.

"Excellent work, Naomi." Shigeru said as the girl was brought over to her.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Shizuka asked, tears falling from her eyes. "There's no reason to kill anyone! You're making a mistake!"

"Begging for your life isn't going to save you," Shigeru stated. "This entire thing is pointless, being friends isn't going to stop murders, you'd be naive to actually believe that."

"Don't even bother explaining it to her, someone like her wouldn't even understand," Naomi said. "Just kill her already!"

"Very well, if you insist." Shigeru said, raising the shovel again. As he swung, the world moved in slow motion. Shizuka ducked once again, taking her out of the shovel's trajectory. But it couldn't be stopped. Naomi felt the metal hit her skull, and let go of Shizuka as she fell to the floor.

She blacked out, lying there as pain coursed through her head. She tried to open her eyes, but everything looked so blurry. She strained to hear what was going on, but the voices sounded muffled and far away. Her body started to feel cold as the warm blood seeped out of her. Was this what death felt like? She tried to cling to life, she wasn't going to die like this, she could keep going!

"-like it matters anyway. I was going to kill that bitch anyway. In this place, it's kill or be killed, and she was a liability."

She heard Shigeru's voice. She paused, he had planned to kill her? But why? Her vision cleared, she was lying behind Shigeru and a broken bottle head was lying on the ground next to her. As her arm shaked, she used what strength she could muster and grabbed it. She might not be able to kill him, but she could injure him. She thrusted her arm forward, stabbing his leg and feeling a sense of satisfaction as she heard Shigeru scream in pain. The world went blurry again, but she thought she could see Shigeru running and Shizuka chasing after him. Maybe she could finish the job after all.

Naomi tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't move. She felt herself getting colder and colder. She wondered if she could still enact her plan in death. With what little energy she had, she dipped her finger in the blood on her head and started writing. It was hard to see, but she could swear that she wrote it correctly. The French word "peintre" was now written in blood on the floor. She didn't expect most of the others to know French, but she felt that it would either lead to the reveal of the true culprit, or it would cause everyone to fall down the wrong path. She didn't care anymore.

Naomi slumped back down to the floor, her eyes closing as the coldness consumed her. As she laid there, she saw an image in her mind. A classroom with eighteen people including herself, the sound of laughter, and Shigeru looking at her with a genuine smile on his face. But just as soon as the image appeared, it vanished once again. She wondered what it could mean.

_Did I make the right choices? Or did I just fuck up completely? Guess I'll never know..._


End file.
